The Vancouver Canucks have pushed the defending Stanley Cup champions to the brink of elimination after a 4-3 victory against the St. Louis Blues in Game 5 on Wednesday.
Oddsmakers still aren't convinced by the upstart Canucks, giving them NHL odds of +115 for Friday's contest, while the Blues remain the favorites at -130.
We break down the hockey odds and bring you free picks and predictions in our NHL betting preview of Game 6 between the Blues and Canucks on Friday August 21, with the puck dropping at 9:45 p.m. ET. **video
St. Louis Blues vs Vancouver Canucks betting preview
Starting Goalies
Blues: Jake Allen - 2-1, 1.86 GAA, .939 SV%
Canucks: Jacob Markstrom - 6-3, 2.48 GAA, .927 SV%
After two strong performances in Games 3 and 4, Jake Allen allowed four goals on 30 shots in Game 5. While both of Tyler Motte's goals were absolute beauties, the other two goals that Allen allowed (especially the poor-angle shot from Jake Virtanen) were pretty soft.
The veteran backstop had just taken the No. 1 gig from last year's playoff hero, Jordan Binnington. It'll be interesting to see if St. Louis considers going back to Binnington if Allen falters.
Markstrom turned in another fantastic performance for Vancouver in Game 5, stopping 34 of 37 shots with several of those saves being the highlight-reel variety. He's been one of Vancouver's most valuable players all season long and has been even better during the postseason.
Injuries
Blues: Alexander Steen LW (out), Vladimir Tarasenko RW (out), Jay Bouwmeester D (out)
Canucks: Alexander Edler D (questionable), Tyler Myers D (out), Tyler Toffoli RW (out), Josh Leivo LW (out), Micheal Ferland LW (out)
Find our latest NHL injury reports for every game.
Betting Trend to Know
The Over is 19-8-1 in the Canucks last 28 games overall. Find more NHL betting trends for Blues vs. Canucks.
Period Bet
It was another wild, fast-paced second period on Wednesday, with four goals and 31 shots on goal between both teams. There have now been 15 second-period goals through five games of this series and every contest has seen at least two goals slotted within the second frame.
Since the NHL restart, Blues games have seen an average total of 2.63 second-period goals, while Canucks games have an average total of 2.56 goals during the middle 20 minutes. Expect another active second period and take the Over.
PREDICTION: Second period Over 1.5 (-130)
Over/Under Pick
Three out of five games in this series have gone Over the total. It's worth mentioning that in the two contests that cashed the Under, Game 3 saw Allen and Markstrom combine to turn away 85 of 90 total shots, while Game 4 saw the Canucks play with obviously tired legs following 75 minutes of hockey the previous night.
Both sides are fantastic on the power play: the Blues ranked third in the league during the regular season and have gone 3 for 7 with the man advantage over the last two games. The Canucks haven't exactly been slouches either, with a power-play unit that ranked fourth in the regular season and has converted at a sizzling 25 percent during the postseason.
While Markstrom has been terrific, he's facing an average of 38.6 shots in this series, so just how much he'll be able to limit the Blues offense is up for debate. On Wednesday, the Canucks finally saw their fourth line produce (contributing a whopping three goals). If Vancouver's bottom-six forwards are starting to click that should bolster an already dangerous attack.
PREDICTION: Over 5 (-135)
Moneyline Pick
St. Louis obviously has a lot going for them: they're strong on the fore-check, loaded with two-way players, effective at every phase of the game and have Stanley Cup experience.
The Canucks, however, also have plenty going for them as well. They're more talented when it comes to their top-six forwards (especially with Vladimir Tarasenko still out for St. Louis), are blessed with great skaters, and Markstrom has been more consistent than either one of St. Louis' backstops.
You never want to count out the defending Stanley Cup Champions, especially with their backs against the wall, but unlike the oddsmakers we are convinced that the Canucks are the real deal. Vancouver has shown that they are at least as good - if not better - as the Blues, which gives them the superior betting value as underdogs.
PREDICTION: Canucks +115
Blues vs Canucks Betting Card
- Second period Over 1.5 (-130)
- Over 5 (-135)
- Moneyline Canucks (+115)
Did you know that if you parlayed today’s NHL Blues vs Canucks picks, you could win $56.22 on a $10 bet?
Use our NHL parlay calculator to create your own parlays and see their potential payouts.
WHERE CAN I BET ON THE NHL?
You can bet on NHL odds at every online and casino sportsbooks, including NHL moneylines, pucklines, Over/Under totals and a ton of NHL prop odds. Head over to our best-suggested sportsbooks for the top spots to bet on NHL odds in your area.
